The EPCOT International Festival of the Arts is unlike anything else at Walt Disney World. For six weeks, painting, sculpture, music, and artisanal food takes center stage and celebrates creativity in the visual, performing, and culinary arts.
While artsy grownups will love it, there is really a lot of fun for the whole family to be had at EPCOT’s newest festival.
The EPCOT International Festival of the Arts
The EPCOT International Festival of the Arts debuted in 2017 and has been expanding ever since. The dates for 2020 are January 17th to February 24th. It’s the perfect pick me up for that lull in the winter between the excitement of Christmas and the start of Spring Break.
In 2017, the festival only happened on weekends, but now guests can experience all it has to offer seven days a week! You can plan on seeing, hearing, tasting – and even participating in – some amazing creative additions to EPCOT. The best part? Most offerings at the festival are included in your EPCOT admission!
Here’s what’s included in The EPCOT International Festival of the Arts…
Visual Arts
There are lots of exhibits, galleries, workshops, and photo opportunities created just for the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts. You’ll see lots of beautiful things and you can even try your hand at making art and learn some new skills!
You can expect to see exhibits from Disney’s most iconic artists, Disney-inspired original art, galleries in several World Showcase pavilions that celebrate art from their country, and even visiting artists creating new pieces in front of your very eyes!
Unique photo ops are around every corner at the festival – you can step into famous paintings and create your own masterpiece!
Culinary Arts
Following the popularity of marketplace boots at EPCOT’s other festivals, the offerings here are delicious and perhaps the most beautiful culinary creations you’ll see anywhere at WDW.
Several booths will celebrate interesting ingredients and flavors – and display them with flair! Imagine a chocolate chip cookie that looks like a painter’s palette or a cake that looks like pop art when you slice into it. There are less literal food-as-art menu items as well, but the presentation here is more like what you would find in a very fancy restaurant – complete with garnishes like flowers or gold leaf, creative shapes, and unexpected plating.
Performance Arts
Be on the lookout for spontaneous performances like moving statues around the festival. And leave room in your PLAN to catch a show – Broadway stars and local bands hit the stage daily at the America Gardens theater, providing lots of great music that Dad can tap his toes to.
You can even book a Broadway Concert Series Dining Package to ensure you get a seat. Choose from a meal at Akershus, Biergarten, Coral Reef, Garden Grill, or Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room. Book in advance by calling 407-939-7463.
Workshops and Seminars
For an added fee, you can participate in workshops like calligraphy, floral arrangements, jewelry making, spice blending, or animation.
Dad’s Bottom Line
The EPCOT International Festival of the Arts is something really different at WDW – if you love the arts or you think you’ve seen it all, you’ve gotta try this. Trust me.
